Lady Jenkins Apologises.

[DTCwordfan]

Lady Jenkins apologises having declared that one of the principal causes of food poverty was that “poor people do not know how to cook”.

Is she right or wrong about the cooking skills of the UK....?

Secondly 4 million tonnes of food are wasted in this country because customers are so picky. How do we change this? Or how do we divert some of it into the foodbanks - a quarter of it would make a huge difference? Ideas?

[FrogNog]

Not necessarily Anne. Why would it?

[mikey4444]

tamborine...the Food Bank that I am involved with DO stock rice, pulses and oats. What we can't stock is fresh fruit, vegetables and most dairy products, as we don't have any chilled storage at our disposal, just a large cupboard in the rear of the Community Centre. Nothing would please us more than to be able to offer fresh food.

We encourage the people who donate to give us things like dried pasta and tinned pasta sauces, as these are always popular amongst our clients.

One thing that troubles me personally is that we can only offer sterilized milk, for instance, which isn't terribly nice.

[FrogNog]

//One thing that troubles me personally is that we can only offer sterilized milk, for instance, which is minging.//
Fixed that for you Mikey4444.

[anneasquith]

yes it does frognog. your poor, living on benefits/low paid employment, damp cold over-growded accommodation - or in isolation , elderly, disabled. what you going to do? go to the overpriced supermarket and make a heart-warming stew, sadly no, get a bag of chips from the chippie, why? just no motivation :(

[mikey4444]

Thanks frognog ! it isn't very nice is it ?

When I was a boy, growing up in the 60's, sterilized milk was still very popular, for the simple reason that a lot of people didn't have fridges. We think of a fridge as a very ordinary kitchen thing these days, but it wasn't always so...far from it. Even my caravan has a fridge these days and I am looking at it now.

I have some friends with a brand-new, expensive 'van and they have a fridge-freezer, as big as the one on my kitchen back home !

[FrogNog]

I am dirt poor Anne and I have already said that I work my backside off.
Motivation is not the issue when it comes to not having any money.
My home is neither damp nor overcrowded, nor do I ever visit my local chippy unless it's for a rare treat of sitting on a bench with open fish and chips, smothered in salt and vinegar.
Do you think I am the exception, or the rule? I know what I think.

[jourdain2]

anneasquith - Being 'dirt poor' shocked me into doing something to keep us going, learning to make bread, grow things, 'make do and mend' (still have a book someone gave me on that - it has served me well, turning collars etc.). I learned to make virtually all of the kids' clothes (including school uniforms) except for knickers, vests and socks. I made duvet covers, sheets from others cast-offs, it can be done. I even learned to make men's trousers, as well as almost all my own clothes and am very proud of having made my husband's sports jackets in desperation. No one could tell the difference and I was more or less self-taught (a year of needlework aged 11). I thank a godmother for giving me a sewing-machine as her bequest (but I did hand-sew skirts etc. until it arrived).

OK, I'm reasonably intelligent - but I was growing our food, keeping house (not very tidily) and spending a couple of hours each evening coaching children who were struggling with their English for a low fee. If I could, others can.

I'm really sympathetic, it's hard, very hard - but you have to dig deep and help yourselves at times.

[FrogNog]

Jourdain2 I think I may be younger than you and I follow some of what you are saying.
It's now cheaper to buy school uniforms in the supermarket than it is to make them. Bizarre, but true.
In fact, it's cheaper to buy most stuff ready made now, which I think is the bulk of the problem. Nothing to do with how much money you have.
Is a poor person buying a value ready meal really any different from a more comfortably off person buying a Chef's choice meal in a foil tray? I don't think so.
The lack of cooking skills is not confined to the poor by any means and Lady Jenkin said it was. The least she could do was apologise and she even did that grudgingly.

[askyourgran]

In a world of benefits for all I would hope that some people have the wit to try to live a healthy life. Most staple foods can be bought in a supermarket 'own brand' and recipes for simple meals are not hard to follow. If they had been living in my mothers day, everything had to be made from scratch. Pizza and pasta did not exist in my childhood days, but we had good meals and a pudding for dessert. My School taught us domestic science - cookery and laundry, that was how I learned to cook basic meals and bake pies and cakes etc. So if they cut out the fags and the monthly mobile contract for a start they may get to afford Sunday dinner instead of living off Greggs and McDonalds.

[FrogNog]

Askyourgran you are the perfect example of what I was saying.
We are not in "your day".
Do you currently have to scrimp? Did you ever or was it just your poor mum who did all that?
If school taught you everything you know about cooking, maybe we should look closer to home.
his generation didn't materialise out of thin air you know.
Askyourgran you are the perfect example of the judgemental nonsense that makes me so angry about this.

[FrogNog]

*This not his.

[DaisyNonna]

Living alone I do not need BOGOF.
On a medical low fat diet like the occasional treat.
Smaller amounts on sale would be preferable. Prepared to pay extra to cover packaging etc.
Less packaging.
Ability to buy 1 chop (no butcher) 1 piece of fish (no fishmonger)
Thank goodness there is an excellent greengrocer within walking distance but have difficulty coping with a whole cabbage.

[PankySmooch]

Just had a discussion about this with the missus, she works in a nursery and she said one of the kids, 3yrs old who's parents own a kebab shop sends her to school every day with cold kebab meat and chips, and another comes in with a packet of Billy Bear ham!

[Retrochic]

Although I can understand what Lady Jenkins is trying to say I feel she is a bit out of touch with what you can buy today. I can cook anything from scratch, but to make a home made pizza costs around £4.50 -I could buy one (not as nice obviously) in Iceland for £1. Lasagna made from scratch is much more than the £2.25 family sized Lasagna in Aldi, and I actually buy ready made steak pies from our local baker as at £5 for a family steak pie, well I couldn't buy the meat for that price.

[DaisyNonna]

Chef's choice meal?
Most ready made meals are inedible.

[-Talbot-]

I can cook anything from scratch, but to make a home made pizza costs around £4.50 -I could buy one (not as nice obviously) in Iceland for £1.



Buy the Iceland one and pimp it up!

[Retrochic]

Daisynonna -if most ready meals were inedible no one would buy them. Try Marks and Spencers ready meals, they are delicious, my mother buys them as she lives on her own and its easier just to microwave a meal. I was very surprised, they are really quite nice.

[237SJ]

I take my mum to hospital nearly every thursday and she has an early appointment so I leave home without eating. I have got into a habit of treating myself to a McDonalds sausage and egg Mcmuffin (yes I know) down in the town while she is waiting for her blood test results. The first time I went in there I couldn`t believe the amount of young mothers feeding their kids McDonalds food. I don`t think they were exactly well off (they certainly didn`t look it) but if they stayed at home, it would be cheaper to knock up a bit of scrambled egg on buttered toast than paying out at McDonalds. Can`t cook, won`t cook and can`t be bothered to cook. There are poor people in South America, Africa and India among other places but they can still cook. Being poor is no excuse.

[gness]

Daisy....my farm shop does lovely ready meals.....made on one or two local farms and in one meal portions if you choose.....
It'd cost me more to keep all the ingredients used....and then I would have to cook instead of reading...or crafting...x

[Retrochic]

Talbot -I don't have to buy the Iceland one, I prefer cooking them from scratch. Someone on a limited budget with limited cooking skills would just buy the Iceland one it would be cheaper.